Youth Helpline: ‘Psychological problems on the rise among youth’

From December, 2012, to January, 2015, Youth Helpline received 87,605 calls.

LAHORE:

A majority of calls received by the Punjab Youth Helpline are about psychological problems, The Express Tribune has learnt.

From December 2012 to January 2015, the helpline received 87,605 calls. Most of them were about psychological, psychosocial and psychosexual problems.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Nazia, the lead psychologist at the centre, says they also receive calls from parents of young people. “Most of the calls are about stress, anxiety and depression,” she says.

“On deeper investigation, these conditions are caused by strained interpersonal relations of young people with their parents, siblings or friends,” she says.

Ayesha Jamal, the Circle of Care head, says that a lot of the behavioural issues can be traced back to problems at home.

“The home is the basis of everything. If the dynamics there are dysfunctional, then the children are bound to face problems,” she says.

Another reason, she says, is the feeling of not fitting in a social environment. “It is tough for adolescents because they are figuring out who they are and how they fit in society. It can lead to stress and anxiety,” she says.

Iram Atta, who has been working with Rozan Helpline for the past eight years, feels that a lot of the psychosocial problems young people face are the result of not feeling part of the decision-making process. “As they grow older, young people are given more responsibility, but they are not allowed to make decisions. So when they finally get the opportunity, they are confused,” she says.

She says that young people are just beginning to experience the outside world. “It creates a conflict, especially where values are concerned. They are being taught one thing at home and learning quite the opposite outside,” she says.

Atta says adolescents experience a lot of changes. “There is very little discussion in society regarding the issues they face. An open discussion on certain topics regarding their physiology and development is important to counter these problems,” she says.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2015.